Outcomes of Neuraxial Anaesthesia for Iraqi Patients Who Underwent Cesarean Section

Abstract

Background: Anesthesia is considered an important factor and an essential procedure for performing caesarean sections for all pregnant women, despite their high cost compared to vaginal delivery. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the role of neuraxial anesthesia on Iraqi women who underwent cesarean section. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study recorded data on women aged (25-40) in different hospitals in Iraq for the period April 14th, 2022, to September 18th, 2023. Most clinical outcomes were collected for pregnant women who underwent cesarean section. Eighty pregnant women who underwent a caesarean section under anesthesia were recruited. The women were divided into two groups. The first group included women who underwent a cesarean section under nerve anesthesia and included 50 patients, while the second group included women who underwent general anesthesia and included 30 patients. To determine the importance of neuraxial anesthesia, the rate of pain, postoperative results, and quality of life of patients who underwent a cesarean section under neuraxial anesthesia were studied and evaluated in comparison with the other group, which represents the group of patients under general anesthesia. Results: Clinical records and results show that women aged (36-40) years were the largest group who underwent a cesarean section. This study showed the results during the cesarean section for the neuraxial anesthesia group, where the duration of the operation was (40.2 ± 5.6) minutes, (2.8 ± 0.2) days, blood transfusion with 10 cases, the duration of stay in the hospital was 2.8 ± 0.2, and the mortality rate was 2 cases, which shows an improvement for women compared to the other group. For the group of women under general anesthesia, the duration of the operation was (42.7 ± 9.6) minutes, blood transfusion included 28 cases, the length of stay in the hospital was (3.4 ± 1.2), and the mortality rate was 6 cases. Regarding negative cases, this study found an improvement in patient outcomes, as it indicated that only four cases were recorded as negative cases, the most prominent of which was infection, with a rate of only two cases, while in general anesthesia, where 10 cases were recorded, the majority of which were infections, with a rate of 5 cases, and bleeding, with a rate of only two cases. Conclusion: This study shows that neuraxial anesthesia represents the most controlled and safest solution for women’s comfort during and after surgery compared to general anesthesia.